Past Circumstances
by ronko45
Summary: Kakashi goes back in time in order to save Obito. Rated T for one bloody scene...
1. Chapter 1

This is my first ever Kakashi Obito story and I have to say, I really don't know how in character I left them. I made Obito kind of act like Naruto, and kid Kakashi… the same as old Kakashi since they are pretty much the same people… oops… I've said to much! Anyway Happy Readings!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, or no one.

Past Circumstances

-X-

Kakashi sat up in his bed, his pajamas and sheets drenched in sweat. His breathing was hard and heavy, as if he had been running a marathon, and not sleeping. His eyes closed as his hands went through his thick white hair. He had a nightmare, one that he hadn't had in years, and here it was, rearing its ugly little head again. Kakashi got off of the soaked sheets and put on his clothes; he was going for a little walk.

The moon shone bright with the stars as they watched over the obsidian rock sitting in the middle of the park. Kakashi ran his hands over its smooth black surface, feeling the engravings of his fellow Leaf ninja over the years. He looked for one particular name. Squatting down, his eye saw what he was looking for. Obito Uchiha. Kakashi breathed in a sigh and closed his eyes again. That was who he was dreaming about. Dreaming? No. It was more like a nightmare. He saw Obito again, and he saw his death replaying before his very eyes, over and over again. Kakashi believed that it was his fault that Obito had kicked the bucket, because he thought he didn't need him, didn't need any of them. A tear fell onto the dew-ridden grass beneath him.

"I'm sorry."

As Kakashi started standing, he saw the stone glowing. Quickly, he tried to remove his hand, but it wouldn't come off. He grabbed with his other hand, but still had the same effect. He felt the light consume him, envelop him in a warmth that he couldn't comprehend, a warmth he welcomed to the night's cool breeze. Finally as the light consumed him wholly, he fell into a deep blissful, much needed sleep.

"Hey! Wake up!" Kakashi heard a familiar voice, one he never thought he would hear ever again. Light flooded his vision as his eye opened, causing him to use his hands as shade. He squinted to get used to the light, and when he opened them fully, he closed and opened them again to make sure what he saw was real. The boy's voice filled his ears. "Kakashi, what's your problem? You look kinda freaked."

"Obito… is that you?"

"Hell yeah it is! Who else would it be? Now get your lazy self up, we have a mission to get to."

Kakashi sat up straight, taking in his bearings. "Mission?" he asked.

"Yeah, so hurry up." Obito walked out to the door, and stopped short, looking back at Kakashi. "And what's with the headband, why is it covering your eye?" Kakashi touched his eye (the one under the headband)… it was still there.

"Nothing," said Kakashi as he got up and dressed.

Minato and Rin met the boys outside, and there they were debriefed in the next mission.

"You two," said Minato pointing to Rin and the Uchiha, "will go together, and search the town for anything suspicious. This is a simple mission, so don't cause any problems okay," he said staring directly at Obito.

"Hey Sensei, I won't be a problem at all."

"And if he is, I'll knock him down a bit," Rin reassured.

"Good to hear, now let's go." Kakashi followed after his teacher as Obito and Rin went to the town.

The town was peaceful, nothing at all seeming out of the ordinary, nothing at all seeming suspicious. The duo continued to walk further into the bazaar, making sure to check everything out. "This is boring… I want something to happen."

"Oh come on Obito." Rin turned to her right, and looked at the merchandise one of the shops sold. "Remember Kakashi's test is coming up any day now."

"Oh yeah… Do I really care?"

"Oh Obito." Rin moved her hand to a small package. It was a first aid kit, filled with the most basic medical supplies. It would be great for Kakashi. Rin spoke to the merchant. "How much is this pack?" After buying, she put it into her backpack. "Are you going to buy anything?"

"No, I don't care if he's about to become a jounin. If he becomes one, maybe then I'll get him a gift… for being out of my life!" Obito laughed bending over, holding his sides.

"Obito, stop it, people are looking…" Obito's laugh rang through the square; it was a while before he calmed down.

"Are you good yet?"

"I'm good." The duo walked around the town, searching for the suspicious activity that they were there for. Minutes went by and all was peaceful. As peaceful as a bazaar full of haggling merchants and customers could be. Before them, a man walked by. He had on a cloak, despite the clear weather. He walked into them, bumping into them hard before going on his way. "Man that was uncalled for. I would've beaten his butt if he didn't walk away so fast."

"Of course you would've Obito."

"You guys look out!" came a voice they recognized as Kakashi's. Kakashi jumped in front of the two, bringing them to the ground just as a clone with a shuriken came at them. Minato stopped him before his students got hurt.

"Are you guys okay?" their sensei asked when the danger was gone.

"Yeah," spoke Rin, "thanks to Kakashi."

"Thanks to him! He could've hurt us more than that shuriken how hard we fell to the floor," yelled Obito.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Kakashi smiled at the boy, earning him looks from the others.

"Glad I'm okay? Glad I'm okay?" repeated Obito, "Who the hell are you?" Kakashi smiled again.

"Oh sorry, I just thought that that paper bomb on your jacket would've exploded already…" Obito looked down and a look of horror crossed his face. He took the paper and threw it into the air. The paper exploded and dust and shrapnel littered the air around them.

"Why you… thinking he can just swoop in and save the day…" Obito was glaring at Kakashi, but it didn't last long. As Minato and Kakashi walked away, Rin placed her hand on Obito's shoulder.

"You better buy someone that gift for saving your life…"

The next day they met up outside. "Here, good luck." Rin handed over the parcel she had bought for the boy yesterday; he examined the contents before pocketing it and thanking her.

"Kakashi, if you do well in this mission then you're set. You'll be a jounin capable of leading his own squad. After that, we'll go celebrate, okay?" said Minato. Kakashi looked over at his team, remembering that this was the fateful day when Obito had died in the past… he knew he came back for a reason, and that reason was to keep Obito from dying, he was sure of it.

"Watch out!" Kakashi threw the kunai just as another kunai was about to hit Obito. He had already seen this play out, which was why he able to save the Uchiha without any injuries to himself. He looked about him and tried to remember for dear life how Obito died… but it was already starting, faster than he could stop it. As soon as his kunai had stopped the enemy's kunai from killing his comrade, a paper bomb exploded the rocks hovering above him. Dust and pebbles fell from over Kakashi, and as Obito saw this, he threw himself at Kakashi, pushing him out of the way, as the rocks piled on, squishing him under their massive weight.

Rin was already at the scene trying to save the boy, pulling at his arm to get him free, but her strength just wouldn't cut it; Kakashi's eye widened. "Not this time," he said as he threw a paper bomb onto the rock, and blew it to pieces before it could do some real damage. With one final tug, Rin pulled Obito from the rubble, him landing beside her on the dusty ground. Kakashi sighed a sigh of relief and took all his anger out on the foes he was to capture.

He turned to two of the three ninja (one of which who had been at the town the other day), knowing that Minato already took out the third. They hovered on the branches, willing him to make a move, and he did. Kakashi unleashed his most powerful punches, knocking one of them off to the floor. He fell with a plop, and nobody paid him any attention after that. The last one, had his kunai in hand just waiting for Kakashi. The rouge ninja's hands did some hand signs, but before he had a chance to finish them, Kakashi ran at him with a loud and shrill scream, completely unlike him, taking the ninja by surprise enough to stab him in the eye, lodging the weapon deep into the brain. "That's for what you would've done…" The ninja fell to the ground, right next to his ally.

Kakashi watched as Obito tried to sneak over to the girl's side of the spring; Rin was in the bath and Obito was no doubt trying to spy on her. Kakashi remembered at that moment that the eye that Obito was supposed to give him, had he died, was now securely in his friend's head, where it was supposed to be. The hot steam made Kakashi feel hot and sticky, so he left the steamy room, and sat across from his sensei, who was enjoying a hot bowl of ramen.

"Congratulations again on your mission!" Minato toasted. "It could've gone either way, but…"

"Sensei… I need to tell you something…"

"Oh that's a first. You're usually so reserved and now that I think about it, you're unusually nice to Obito today, what's up?" he asked, face going serious.

Kakashi touched his covered eye. "I'm not supposed to be here. Obito was supposed to die."

Minato stared back. "He didn't; why are you so uptight about it?"

"I changed the future…"

"Of course you did… it would've been a totally different future had he died."

"Not like that…" Kakashi said sharply. "I really changed the future…" Minato spit out his noodles, spraying it over the table; he was laughing. Knowing this was useless, Kakashi stood up and left to his room, unaware, that as he was leaving, Minato had a serious look on his face again.

Obito stepped into the room and found Kakashi lying down, staring at the ceiling. "Hey are you okay?" Kakashi never acknowledged him, but Obito knew he heard him. "You didn't make fun of me at all today…"

"Is that what you want, for me to make fun of you?" snapped Kakashi, who realized that was what his old self would've have said.

"No. I wanted to thank you for saving me…"

"And because you didn't get me anything to celebrate me being squad leader right?"

"You could at least make this easy for me, sheesh, and here." Obito walked up to Kakashi and threw a parcel on his lap. Kakashi opened it; it was a Make-out Paradise book. A smile crossed his lips.

"Where'd you get this Obito?" The Uchiha brought his hands to his goggles and smiled. "I bet sensei will miss this. Since you went to all the trouble of stealing it for me, would you like to join me?" Obito was surprised at first, then embarrassed. He was going to read an erotic book with his teammate. Kakashi looked at him, eyebrows arched. "I'm going to start without you." Not wasting another second, the two boys sat on the bed reading the book.

Obito's eyes trailed over Kakashi's face and he saw how happy he was. He wasn't outright smiling, but never before had he seen Kakashi so happy, and as far as Obito could see, he was resonating sunshine. A smile tugged on Obito's lips. He could tell that this was going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" whispered Minato to Rin. Ever since the morning, Obito and Kakashi had stuck close to each other, and were talking to each other no less… as in a real conversation. There was no bickering, or squabbling, or nothing of that nature. At one point Kakashi actually outright laughed; it wasn't a sarcastic laugh either. Minato stopped. Rin stopped, but the other two kept on walking as if nothing was wrong.

"He just laughed…" said Minato.

"I know," responded Rin. "He seems happy for some reason." Rin walked up with a smile, watching Obito and Kakashi closely, before beckoning Minato to hurry up. The man still had a pensive look on his face, but he put whatever he was thinking to the back of his mind as he neared his students and walked into the forest.

The forest they had to pass through was well beyond a "little" silent. A little silence would mean there were some small rustles, or a chirp or two here and there, but not in this forest. They walked under the canopy, looking around them as if they expected something, as if they too knew that something was wrong.

"Sensei," started Rin, "is it just me or…"

"No, there's something terribly wrong here." He had pulled out his kunai, holding it at the ready. They walked slower now, taking in their surroundings. Rin was at the rear, glancing back nervously time to time. She only had enough time to dodge as a shuriken flew to her feet; she jumped back two giant steps, but that was a mistake. The moment she took those two steps, the ninja left the trees. They jumped to the ground, two of them grabbing Rin, and the others surrounding the men.

"Let her go!" cried Obito who tried to run to her, but he was pushed back effortlessly. The two who were holding her jumped back onto the trees, Rin dangling from their arms. They seemed to have singled Kakashi out, looking at him with what seemed like hard eyes behind their masks. Kakashi ran forward as well; this hadn't happened last time. Was it because he saved Obito? He pushed through the human-made defenses, actually getting passed… it seemed too easy, but he let it slip his mind as he went after Rin. Behind him, Minato and Obito began to fight.

The ninja jumped from tree branch to tree branch as Rin flopped back and forth in the air. She had managed to get her hand between her neck and her captor's arm. She tried to pry him off, but she just wasn't as physically strong as he was. The jumping had ceased, and she found herself in a small clearing. Kakashi stopped right behind them.

"Let her go…"

"I've heard that already," said the man, "you should really make sure that the people you drop to the floor are really dead. Now as payment for that, I'm going to kill this chick here…" Rin's eyes grew wide when she heard that. She tried to struggle more, to tell Kakashi to leave her be, but it was futile. The kunai the man held in his hand was brought to her neck, sitting menacingly on her pulsing jugular.

"I really would like to think all this could've been avoided, but I don't think it could've." Kakashi jumped forward with amazing speed, punching the ninja closest to him to the ground before he ran to the girl. As he ran up to her, he saw her eyes flash with pain, and then a second later, blood poured. The bright red fluid trickled down at first, but when the man dropped her to the ground, it flowed even faster, gaining speed as it trailed to the earth under her.

Kakashi didn't care about the ninja at that moment, didn't care that he was about to leave. Kakashi took Rin into his hands, as his other teammates showed up and followed after the rogue assassins. Kakakshi lifted Rin, ripping off a portion of his clothes, pressing it to her wound to assuage the blood-flow.

It was as if the kunoichi knew that she had no time left. She struggled to speak to Kakashi. "I'm so glad that…"

"Don't speak. Please. It's all my fault…" His voice was becoming a mere whisper.

"… glad that you are happy." She coughed. "I thought… thought that when your dad died you'd be sad forever, but…" Blood started to trail from her mouth now, as she tried to finish her last words.

"Just be quiet Rin!" Kakashi all but yelled; it was his fault she was hurt like this.

"Be good to Obito; I know how you are… I don't blame you at all… just please," she said as the others came back. Obito took Rin's hand in his own, kneeling beside her. "Just continue to be happy…" Her free hand reached to stroke Kakashi's cheek, but it stopped mid-air falling to the earth with a dead thump. All the rage and sadness that he had felt at the moment surfaced, as uncontrolled tears ran down his face. He screamed her name. It was all his fault, Kakashi thought to himself, all his fault. If only he hadn't came back, only he hadn't saved Obito, but that was it… he wasn't at all sad for Obito being alive, and he sure as hell didn't regret it.

Was that wrong?

Minato watched as Kakashi worked through the emotions that came from within. He watched the hurt, the pain, and the sorrow for Rin form in his features, and as he saw this, the very words Kakashi had uttered to him only some hours ago floated into his mind. 'I'm not supposed to be here. I've changed the future.' Dead silence had replaced the saddened cries of his ninja students. He looked at their solemn faces and walked to the kunoichi. "We'd better go you guys," he said as he picked her up and prepared a proper burial for her.

They were back in the village hidden in the leaves when Kakashi walked away from the team, without a word, to his house. Obito noticed how much Kakashi had changed since Rin had grown lifeless. Half of Obito was sad because he had always loved Rin, but even more than the sadness he felt for Rin's death was the poignant feeling that came when he thought of Kakashi and the way he had cried over Rin. He watched Kakashi until he was a ways away before following after him. Kakashi went into his apartment, shutting the door behind him with a slam. Minutes later, Obito, who walked into the house and into the room, with the stealthy-ness of a cat, sat next to Kakashi.

"Kakashi," he asked into the darkness. There was no answer, but he continued on anyways. "It wasn't your fault Kakashi. You couldn't have saved her…"

"You're wrong," Kakashi said emptily. "If I didn't come back, none of this would've happened."

"What are you talking about?" yelled Obito, grabbing into the dark, and finding Kakashi's shirt. He pulled him up to his feet. "Ever since Rin died, you've been saying it was your fault. Explain to me how it was your fault? You couldn't have done anything… it was an accident." Obito's voice was starting to break as the tears cascaded down his face. "Stop beating yourself up about it; Rin wouldn't like it."

Kakashi grabbed Obito's hand and released the grip it had on his shirt. There was no way he could tell Obito how it was his fault that Rin, the one Obito loved, was dead because he tried to save him. "Are you still crying? What a wuss. Get over it; I did." Kakashi couldn't stop himself from saying those words, knowing full well the emotional trauma all of them were going through. He felt Obito stiffen, and he never stopped to call him back as the boy ran out of the room angry.

Minato was still confused. How the hell had he started to think about it; what could he do about it? He was thinking about Kakashi still, and the possibility that he really was from the future. What could he do anyways? Throw him into a portal of the past? Minato threw back his cup, savoring every bit of liquid sunshine, as the sake went down his throat. "What am I going to do?" he said to no one as he reached for a second helping sitting across from him.

Kakashi was still thinking about what he had said to Obito. Of course Obito was crying; he had loved Rin. Kakashi wanted to make it up to him… why come back to the past only to make the very person you wanted to save mad at you? Kakashi slowly got up and made a hand sign. He hoped that the years that went back didn't take his skills too. When the hand signs were complete, Pakkun was standing in front of him.

"Hello… whoa!"

"Keep it down. I know, it's too much to explain, but I need you to find Obito for me." Pakkun, trusting of Kakashi, kept the questions down and picked up the scent of the Uchiha. They went to where he was, and that was where Pakkun left Kakashi.

Obito was sitting in a tree, watching the stars twinkle above. "Figures you'd be here."

"What do you want?" His goggles were over his eyes.

"Hey you can't stay mad at me forever…"

"Wanna bet," Obito retaliated, "I can stay mad as long as I want to."

"And how long is that per say?"

"…"

"That's what I thought." Kakashi jumped up behind the boy, pulling him back so that he fell toward the ground. Obito caught himself, twisting to land on his feet.

"What the hell!" Without a word, Kakashi attacked, keeping his real skills to a minimum. "Why are you attacking me?"

"No reason." Obito ran forward and tried to punch Kakashi, but he dodged effortlessly.

"You have to have a reason." Kakashi ran forward, moving his face close to Obito. "Ok, I do…"

"Then what is it?" Another punch was served, followed by a kick.

"I won't tell you."

"Why not? Kakashi."

"Because… "

"Why the silence, huh?" Obito threw a couple of punches and got a hit on Kakashi. He fell to the floor, and like last time, Obito grabbed him by the shirt collar. "What do you need to tell me?" They looked at each other, an air of dread filling between them. The wind blew passed, ruffling their hair.

"I…" Minato came up to the both of them and pulled on Kakashi's collar.

"Come with me now," he said as he dragged him. Obito stood in a stupor watching as the sensei lugged the student away from him. Whatever Kakashi had been trying to say, it sounded important.

"I have to know what he was about to say…" Some sort of feeling washed over Obito, the kind of feeling that one just can't ignore, and it made him run.

Minato pulled Kakashi out to a small cottage somewhere in the middle of nowhere. They were still in the forest, but far away from where he and Obito had been fighting. "What is it sensei?" asked Kakashi righting himself. Minato scratched his head and looked away as if he was embarrassed. It reminded Kakashi so much of Naruto that he couldn't help but laugh.

"This isn't a laughing matter Kakashi," he warned sharply,"this is serious."

"Then talk." That embarrassed air came back and Kakashi kept goading the ninja. Minato turned to him at the same time the cabin door opened. An old lady walked out. She was short, stout, and her graying hair flowed behind her.

"We believe you, and we have come to send you back to the future." Kakashi looked at them. Minato shook his head slightly. "We have to do this fast." Her hands moved in front of her, in lightening fast speeds. A portal appeared before the lot of them, a myriad of colors blending into a small black hole that stood in the middle. "Go, go back to your time."

"But what about all that I've already changed? Won't that…"

The old lady cut him off, her squinting eyes staring hard, straight at him. "Whatever changes occurred will be shown in your future, but you cannot stay here any longer." Kakashi looked between the two of them taking a small step toward the portal.

Obito ran swiftly in the direction Minato had taken Kakashi. He was going to find out what Kakashi was going to say. He didn't know why but that feeling that had overcome him when he watched Kakashi getting taken away was back and stronger than ever. Obito stepped onto the dry grass under him, in the view of the cabin. He saw the new- jounin take a step forward toward the portal and he almost lost his senses; he felt like he wasn't ever going to see Kakashi again. He ran, screaming, trying to get the ninja's attention.

Kakashi looked over at his sensei again, who had a look of alarm on his face. He nodded to Kakashi, but quickly looked away to something behind the ninja. Kakashi had finally put his foot inside of the swirling vortex when behind him came a shout. He turned to look back, but only got a glimpse of the crazed-looking Obito screaming his name. His sensei had pushed him into the portal before he too, changed his mind about Kakashi leaving.

Obito was held back by Minato when he reached the portal. "Why did you do that?" he asked, still hectic, "he needed to tell me something… something important."

"You'll see him again but he really had to go Obito." Obito stared at the disappearing portal, the earlier energy he had before transitioning into dread once again.

Kakashi fell through the vortex, in a different way than when he had been brought to the past. He closed his eyes and let his future be made as he went through all other 'past' events that happened due to his intervention. He was only saddened by the fact that he hadn't exactly told Obito what he was going to tell him, but he had made it a mission to keep the boy alive right? and that's exactly what he got, a living breathing, Obito…

-X-

A/N: Find out what Kakashi was going to tell Obito in the next exciting episode of "Past Circumstances".


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Welcome back to the exciting conclusion of "Past Circumstances". I am your host Ronko. We found out last chapter that Kakashi and Obito had a falling out, and just as Kakashi was about to tell Obito something important, Minato comes and ruins it all! Will Obito ever find out what Kakashi wanted to say? Will people actually want to read the long author's note that follows the story? Will Ronko ever stop writing so much in the intros and end-tros…? Keep reading to find out the answers to all these questions…

Disclaimer: I own nothing, or no one.

Past Circumstances chapter 2

-X-

The sun shined onto the dew-ridden grass as the three students walked onto the grounds. Their feet crunched the crisp grass as they moved their heads in all directions, looking for something, or someone. Naruto took the bushes, calling out for his sensei, his rival right behind him, scouting the area. Sakura took the trees, climbing up swiftly with her excellent chakra control. She put her hand over her eyes as a visor and searched. Her eyes stopped at the giant obsidian shard in the middle of the grounds, and she yelled to her teammates.

"You guys!" she said running to the body. "Kakashi-sensei are you okay?" She shook him, his body feeling cold to her touch. "Help him up." They dragged the limp body over to a nearby tree and sat him up. Sakura stood by as the others went for some water.

Kakashi shot up when he felt the cold water splash his face. He looked around and wiped his face with his hands before registering his students. "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura…"

"Yeah, steady," said Sasuke as he helped Kakashi up. "Would you like me to get you anything?"

"Yeah, some Icha Icha would be…" Kakashi did a double take and stared at the Uchiha. "Did you just ask me if I needed something?" The boy only stared back.

"Yeah sensei, you're not feeling too well right?"

"Are _you_ feeling well?" He brought his hands to Sasuke's forehead; there was no fever, no sign of sickness at all.

"Sensei, I think you should go home for today. You're too sick to train us." Kakashi still couldn't help but look at the Uchiha boy disbelievingly; what was wrong with him?

"You're probably right. I guess I'll see you guys later." Kakashi got up, feeling stiff and sore.

"Okay, make sure to get lots of rest!" Sakura yelled out. Kakashi smiled; at least she was still the same. As he sauntered out of their view, he heard Sasuke and Naruto talking.

"Since we have no training, you want to go to my house and train with Itachi…" Kakashi had his mouth hanging low, but he continued to listen.

"Sure," replied Naruto, "I'll defeat you and him in any game! Let me go home and ask my dad first…" His dad! His dad was alive?

The kids ran his way and he turned to them. "Naruto, if it's no problem, I'm going to meet your father okay?" Naruto shrugged and waved goodbye to the others.

Kakashi found, with great relief, that Naruto was the same old Naruto that he knew and loved. He was ranting about training, about becoming the best Hokage in the village, rambling on about the usual ramen noodle dinner, lunch, and breakfast, when they reached his house. It was a grand house (nothing like the Uchiha compound or the Hyuga's) that stood three stories high. Naruto entered through the door and yelled out loud that his teacher was with him.

"Hey Kakashi… it's been a while." Minato had grown older since the last time Kakashi had seen him. He looked the same, save for some aging wrinkles around his eyes. Kakashi nodded absently. Did the man not remember at all what had happened when he pushed him through the portal? And what about… Kakashi looked around and whispered to his old sensei.

"Sensei, where's Obito?" Minato blinked for a second before laughing.

"Sensei? I told you not to call me that anymore, and Obito, I believe he's working with the police force… " He looked up to face Kakashi. "Are you going to apologize?" His face had grown serious, but Kakashi grew confused.

"Apologize, for what? Is he mad at me?"

"Well, yes actually." Kakashi couldn't believe it. Obito was mad at him, but for what reason? What had happened those few years that he skipped between the time Rin died and now?

Naruto had run out the door just when Kakashi was about to ask Minato some more questions, and before Minato said goodbye to his son, he told Kakashi one final thing. "You might as well see him yourself Kakashi. Like I said before, he's still mad…" Did Minato remember or know about the past? Kakashi wanted to know, but right now, he had to find Obito.

He turned as Naruto opened the door, "I'm coming with you." It was for Obito's sake that all this happened and he wanted to see how well everything turned out for the knuckle-head Uchiha.

The Uchiha district was rife with Uchiha life, and it was a shock to Kakashi to see it thriving like this. He was used to the ghost town and the lonely sadness that radiated off of the place; he had to admit, this change was more coming. He looked around the houses, getting hi's from random people he sure didn't know, waving back to them, returning the bright smiles on their faces.

He was already familiar with the layout of the district, from the abandon houses and who they belonged to, to the empty police academy back when it was deserted. It looked all too new to him but he was sure he'd be able to get around. Tapping Naruto on the shoulder, he told him that he was going to leave him here.

"Okay, bye sensei!" Naruto took off in a sprint as if glad to be free of the man that was slowing him down. Kakashi followed the old map in his head all the way to the front doors of the police academy. The last time he had seen it, it was barren and its white paint was chipping off. Wood was getting loose from the constant consumption from termites and the occasional rain storm. What he saw now almost made him believe the Uchiha execution never happened, but he knew it did, though once upon a time…

Raising a shaking hand to the door, Kakashi willed himself inside of the small building. The inside was like the outside in that the white paint had been beautifully kept. Kakashi did a quick once over, avoiding the prying eyes of bored police officers, searching in one swift movement for the familiar face, but he couldn't find him. Kakashi let out a breath before turning to the door. Was he happy he didn't have to see Obito? He was okay with him just staying alive; he didn't have to check on him right? Kakashi wished he could give himself straight answers to these questions. He pushed the door open and stepped back out under the hot sun.

"Hey, hold on!" Kakashi had already walked a good distance from the Police Office, already close to the edge of the Uchiha border when a voice called him back. "Hey, you're Kakashi right?"

"Yes…" The man stopped short of Kakashi. He was a tall man, but not as tall as Kakashi, and he was strongly built, but didn't look like it. He remembered seeing him around somewhere, long ago at some conference, but he couldn't quite place it.

"I'm glad I caught up with you. We would love to have you over for dinner."

"I'm sorry, but I really need to go."

"Nonsense. My wife was really adamant about having my son's team over and since Naruto and Itachi's friend are eating as well, we'd might as well make room for one more." Now he remembered who it was; the look on Fugaku's face told him this wasn't really up for debate. Being the chief of the Police Force had its advantages in intimidation.

"I guess I will see you at dinner," spoke Kakashi in defeat.

"Good. Let's go."

Kakashi followed the Uchiha Chief to his cozy abode up the far end of the street. The house was different, considering the 'old' house was empty and filled with what one would call the scent of murder. Kakashi followed Fugaku into the kitchen, and stayed behind him after he gave his wife a small peck on the cheek.

"How are you? How was your day?"

Fugaku smiled, "It was fine. We have another joining us for dinner; you wouldn't mind adding another plate would you?"

"No, no, of course not." Mikoto walked up to Kakashi and extended her hand. "My name is Mikoto. It's very nice to meet you Kakashi sensei. I've heard many good things about you." Kakashi was at a loss for words. The smile Mikoto gave off was proof that she was surely a great mother, and it saddened him to think Sasuke had lost her once before.

His reverie was broken by Fugaku calling him over for a seat at the table as the rest of the others joined them. Sasuke and Naruto took their usual seats, and Mikoto had already set out the last remaining two plates.

"Is Itachi eating with us tonight?" asked Sasuke with a big smile. Kakashi had never seen Sasuke so happy.

"I hope he is. Then after dinner he can show me some more moves!" yelled Naruto.

"He is, even…"

"Hey mom!" Mikoto was cut off by a very familiar voice and Kakashi couldn't help but to stare in awe as he saw the man walked into the house.

"Stop calling her mom," said Fugaku with a smirk, "she's not your mother."

"But I think of her as…" Obito noticed the man with the white hair. "What is he doing here?" Itachi as well, who had just walked in, quickly looked between the two of them and shook his head.

"Go up to my room. I'll be there shortly." Obito shook his head in agony. Why was Kakashi here?

"Bring some food up too, while you're at it." Itachi raised an eyebrow to the other Uchiha's command but put it aside due to the feelings he knew were accumulating inside.

"No problem," he said with a sigh, still keeping his eyes on Kakashi. "Kakashi sensei," he said turning to leave, "walk with me for a bit. Sasuke, bring a plate up for Obito."

Itachi walked ahead of Kakashi. It was almost amusing seeing as how this youngster directed Kakashi, up until they stopped inside of a dense forest. Kunai and training dummies were found lying about the field. Fresh blood was smelt in the air; this was definitely where the Uchihas had trained.

"You know why Obito hates me don't you?" asked Kakashi. Speaking to one who was supposedly supposed to be dead did not stir up any kind of uncomfortable feeling. He had spoken to Obito and he was supposed to be dead too right?

"Of course I do."

"Then can you tell me what is going on? why he hates me?" They may have been questions, but he was commanding.

Itachi closed his eyes for a second, biting his lips. He wasn't to sure about getting involved any more than he already was, but Obito was living in a state of hate and it wasn't good for either of them. Itachi sighed again and looked at Kakashi.

"I can't tell you. Ask him yourself."

"Why did you bring me out here to tell me that."

"Think about it," he said with a smirk, taking a step to the side of where a kunai was thrown. "You really think Obito would just let you walk back here without a fight?" Another kunai came to the ground, making Itachi take another step forward, but the Uchiha wasn't fazed. "Come on out Obito." Looking back at Kakashi, Itachi spoke, "you best have a nice long chat with him," and disappeared from sight.

Obito Uchiha fell to the ground, landing on his two feet, eyes glaring at the jounin in front of him. How Kakashi did not notice the Uchiha was beyond him. Neither said anything; they were downsizing each other, but Kakashi didn't want to hold anything for any longer.

"For what reason are you mad at me?"

"What do you mean 'for what reason'?" Obito jumped in the air, and threw a fireball jutsu at Kakashi. "If you don't remember, I'll gladly stir your memory."

"It'd be a shame if I beat you, you know…"

A growl left the Uchiha's mouth as he threw another kunai at Kakashi's feet. He jumped up as Kakashi took a step forward, slamming down with a kick from above. Kakashi was hit; he was thrown face first into the side of a tree. Obito laughed, walking up to the downed opponent.

"What happened to all that bravado years ago huh Kakashi?" While laughing at the white-haired jounin, Obito became completely oblivious as smoke replaced what should have been a downed body. He gasped, looking around, putting a kunai between him and the surrounding area.

Kakashi laughed as well, making a hand sign before going underground. Obito had heard the laughter, but it had silenced just as fast. With the smoke clearing up, he was able to see, but the only thing that lay before him was a hole in the ground. "That wasn't here before…" he said touching his goggles.

Kakashi was still smiling. He felt the vibrations of Obito overhead and he laughed as he pulled the boy down with his mole jutsu. Obito was stuck in the ground, head sticking out as if a cabbage. "So are we done here?"

"Never, not on your life!"

"Come on Obito, I really don't know why you're mad at me." Kakashi had tried to play the sympathy card. He batted his eyes, cocking his head just a bit to get that innocent look. The sky was already darkening and the light from the sunset only added to the man's "innocence". "What did I do?"

"You wanna know what you did?" Kakashi nodded. He tried not to laugh as Obito talked; his head was still sticking out of the ground. "You never, not once when I asked, told me why you came back to the past…" Kakashi was confounded. How did he know about that? "It was your fault that Rin had died wasn't it!" The dark eyes that met Kakashi as he glanced at Obito mad him cringe.

"What? What are you talking about? Going back in time… is that even possible?"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about! You always freaking avoid the subject. I know you went back in time, and because of that Rin had died. What the hell was so important that Rin had to die?"

Kakashi was sure he couldn't play ignorance any longer. "How do you know…" he asked softly.

"The old lady, the one that was with you and sensei… she told me after you went through that portal."

"Obito you have to listen– "

"No Kakashi! Just get me out of this damned hole." Obito stopped his speech, funny faces now taking their place.

"You promise not to fight if I take you out? I don't want to beat you again."

"Shut up. My nose is itchy." Kakashi helped the man out and Obito sat down at a tree across from where Kakashi sat. The moon was now fully in the sky. "Tell me now Kakashi…"

"Okay, but you tell me first, what happened after I went through the portal?"

"What do you mean what happened?" He looked at Kakashi, hate still evident his eyes, but he sighed. "If you're gonna feign ignorance—" He was cut off by a laugh.

"Did you just say 'feign ignorance'…" another bout of laughter caught him off-guard. "You really have grown up!"

"Shut up and listen Kakashi. I had just gotten to you…" He looked up at the sky, and began his story.

Obito looked at his sensei in anger, so much so that Minato too, had to cringe. "Why did you do that?" he repeated voice as hard as stone, "He needed to tell me something."

"I'm sorry Obito, but it had to be done."

"What are you talking about, what had to be done? What is going on here?" Minato looked away from his student. He didn't want to tell him about the time thing and that he was the one who was supposed to die. He was sure if he told him anything, he'd have to mention that fact that Obito was saved because Kakashi, and from what Minato had gathered from his short doings with the old lady who stood beside him was that death will always be, no matter what time or how one changes it.

"He means to say," started the old lady. She never looked at him as she spoke, staring straight at the spot where the portal had just been. "That your friend had come back in time and his actions had caused the death of your other friend."

Minato's eyes went wide. "What the… why would you tell him something like that?" He glanced over at Obito.

"It is the truth," the lady said simply.

"Yes, but you didn't have to put it so…"

Minato stopped what he had said as Obito started to question what the old lady told him. "Kakashi… he's the reason for Rin's death…? Why? Why did he go back in time…" A strange light had reappeared before the lot of them and they all covered their eyes from the intense brightness.

"I believe you may ask him yourself," the old lady spoke as the light withered into a small portal. Seconds later, Kakashi fell out of the hole, dropping to the ground and groaning as he stood himself up.

"What…" he groaned in pain, "what is going on? Why are you all here? Why did you push me sensei?"

Minato grinned. "I'm sorry…" he said scratching his head again. When Kakashi turned to Obito, he saw a look of both sadness and darkness.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked. "Obito…?"

"Tell me Kakashi. What were you going to say to me and why did you come back?"

"Come back?" inquired Kakashi, "I never left. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Then what about Rin?"

"Rin? Obito you don't have to keep bringing her up you know that. Let the dead stay dead. I've got to go." Kakashi turned around to leave just as Obito grabbed his arm and demanded to know why he came back from the past. "Obito, what the hell are you talking about? I didn't come back from any past…" Kakashi shook himself of the Uchiha and stepped out of the woods.

"Obito, I think it best you let this go," said Minato before he too went his on way. The old lady turned around, into her cottage leaving the Uchiha alone in the silent woods…

"Ever since then, I've been trying to ask you what had happened those years ago, but every time, you had outright ignored me. I got tired of it and just started to hate you; you returned to your old broody self and I knew that what friendship we had was over…" Kakashi listened to the story. Why hadn't he remembered what had occurred? Time was a complex thing and he wished he didn't have to deal with it. "So you gonna tell me why you came back to the past?"

"Listen Obito," Kakashi was interrupted.

"No you listen. I've been waiting for too many years for you to wuss out on me now. Why did you kill Rin?"

"Obito, I never killed Rin… I just caused her death…" The utter shock that had appeared on Obito's face had been quickly replaced with anger. "No, no, Obito, don't misunderstand." Obito stood up and reproduced his kunai.

"I'm tired of asking you the nice way. I'll make you spill if it's the last thing I do." The Uchiha rushed Kakashi, voraciously swinging his kunai as he neared the jounin. When he was close enough without a warning, he stopped suddenly and did the hand signs for a fireball jutsu. Kakashi just barely moved out of the way, as the trees and shrubbery behind him got caught on fire. He jumped up into the air, but that maneuver was short-lived since Obito followed after him with a kick to the gut. Kakashi fell to the floor and poofed out of sight, appearing before Obito with his sharingan eye out.

"I guess I'm going to have to stop you with force," he said as he redid the move that Obito had just done.

"When… where? … the eye…"

"It was when… I guess it's time to tell you the real truth," said Kakashi, allowing the fire from the fireball jutsu to wan into nothing. "I went back in time to save you from dying, but trust me, I had no idea that Rin was going to die. She seemed to accept her death of course, just wishing the best for me… but I didn't mean for it happen."

"I was dead… you saved me?"

"Yes. That's pretty much the short version of it."

"But why… why?" Kakashi sighed and sat down where he sat, leaning against the tree as Obito had done when he began his story.

"I don't know how I got there, but all I knew was that when I saw you alive and next to me, I had come back to save you. I've been feeling guilty about you dying and how I had treated you… you gave me this eye as a present… I'm sure you don't remember… I was at fault for not relying on my team to help and it was for that reason that I wanted to save you… if nothing else than for me to rid myself of the guilt."

"But Rin…" He had stopped his fighting and had sat himself down at the base of a tree as well. Kakashi's story was completely crazy and if it wasn't for the Sharingan eye that showed on his face he wouldn't have believed any word of it. He knew the Sharingan was a Kekei Genkai, and for Kakashi to have acquired it, it must have been from Obito… if he truly had died.

"I never knew the consequences of my actions until it was too late. I realized, when the ninja had come after us, for a second time, that my interference in the past had caused someone else to die…" Kakashi grew silent and pondered silently. Obito was silent as well; what Kakashi had been through, he was just beginning to see. "You wanna know something else?" he said looking at Obito, finally, since he sat down, "I never once regretted saving you… I am sad about what happened to Rin, but I don't regret coming back and saving you, not at all."

"Kakashi…" said Obito slowly taking care to word his next sentence carefully. The caution that had tinted the man's voice caused Kakashi to be weary.

"What is it?"

"Well, I'm no expert in time, but if it was true that I died in your regular future and gave you that eye, now that I am alive in this future, should you still have the eye?"

Kakashi pondered on the question. Should he still have the eye…? "Obito I think you are right. It should've disappeared the moment I saved you, and I've been so caught up in everything that I hadn't noticed it." He stood up and paced back and forth. "Does this mean that you are still dead… somewhere?"

"Kakashi calm down." The Uchiha ran over to the jounin and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Calm down and think about this. What if nothing here is real?"

"What? What are you talking about? I felt all the punches I hit you with. You have to be real?"

"But Kakashi listen to me. You must've had these feelings inside for so long that they finally manifested themselves as a dream so real…"

"No, I know what I felt; this can't be a dream."

The world that surrounded the two men had begun to warp. The darkness that shrouded them, the fire that the fireball jutsu had created earlier all blended together in a perfect mix. Obito still stood in his place as if he wasn't at all unnerved by the events going on around him.

"Kakashi," Obito spoke again, "just accept it. I never blamed you for my death. I may have always hated you back in the day, but that was because you were my rival. You pushed me like no one ever could and plus," he said with a smile as he started to disappear, "I'm glad we were finally able to become friends…" The colors of the forests blended into one single white color and the last of Obito's words reached Kakashi's ears. "… even if it was just in your dream…"

Kakashi heard Obito's voice thin down so much so, that nothing was heard. He was in the white space alone and the silence was killing him. Was all this truly just a dream? Was the warm feeling he felt in Rin's hand when he held it just a lie? The stickiness from the sauna, and the pain he felt in his heart when he taunted Obito's feelings, were all those just a fabrication of his own mind?

He closed his eyes to the whiteness, and he felt himself get lighter and lighter. The light became whiter and whiter, more intense. The warm feeling he felt in the earlier part of his adventure had reappeared and it cloaked him once again. His eyes became too heavy to keep open and the light was replaced with darkness as Kakashi went into a much wanted sleep.

The moon was still high in the sky when Kakashi woke up, although Kakashi wasn't where he had fallen asleep. Kakashi shot up after he realized he had not, in fact, been outside at all. He was in his bed, under the covers, just like before. The sheets were drenched. "Wasn't I just with Obito," he whispered to himself. He looked at his hands and clenched them. Everything from the 'dream' had felt real, and he just could not come to terms with the fact that that's what it was, a dream. He still felt the heat of the fire that surrounded him when Obito played his fireball jutsu, it couldn't be fake! The jounin sighed and got out of the bed. He had to visit Obito again, if anything, to prove that everything was a dream.

Removing himself for the saturated sheets, Kakashi ran to the shard. The night was cold once again, giving him the unusual feeling of déjà vu. The shard was in sight, and he let himself walk over to it. His hands instinctively went to Obito's name. He didn't even have to look. As his hands touched the cold surface, a sort of sensation washed over the jounin.

He couldn't really define it, but it felt… good. It felt as if all the problems and guilt that he had originally felt for Obito were gone. 'If it was just a dream, than how could I feel that?' he thought to himself. For years he had regretted what he had let happen. He was supposed to be in charge of leading the mission and it was truly his fault that Obito died. Having the burden of guilt lifted off of his shoulders felt amazing to him. Opening his eye, he saw the only proof he needed, though the moment he touched the shard he knew it was already true. Obito was still dead, and this was all just a dream… a very, very real dream.

Kakashi sat on the ground underneath the shard and sighed loudly. He was tired from his restless sleep, but he was feeling better. The cold night had been replaced with a warm wind and Kakashi relished the sudden change in temperature. "Forgive yourself Kakashi, and be happy…" The soothing voice sounded familiar to Kakashi.

"So that was the plan all along huh," he laughed as he stood up, and headed back to his house. "I'm glad you still care for me even after all these years… Rin, thank you."

-X-

A/N: Hey you guys, (I guess answer to question three in the intro is a big fat no!) there is a sequel to this, except about Sasuke and Itachi (It will be out eventually). Oh, and another thing, my original idea was sort of what you read up there, but an idea that came to me was having Obito and Itachi part of the Uchiha assassination (a side affect that happened after he saved Obito), and Kakashi would've been one of the jounin put on a squad to capture him. It was going to be after Kakashi went back in time, the assassination had occurred, he had to stop the two from getting away. (Not that good of an explanation of an idea that went on in my head, I know, I'm sorry…) I stayed with this one because the other was unwritten territory for me, and I wanted to portray Kakashi's saving Obito as a good thing for the future… too bad it was just a dream!


End file.
